Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Korn/Ferry in Focus

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Korn/Ferry (KFY) is a Business Services stock that has seen a price change of -2.03% so far this year. The staffing company is paying out a dividend of $0.37 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.24% compared to the Staffing Firms industry's yield of 1.72% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.56%.

Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $1.48 is up 45.1% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Korn/Ferry has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 29.30%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Korn/Ferry's current payout ratio is 31%. This means it paid out 31% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for KFY for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $4.75 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 10.98%.

Bottom Line

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers their shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, KFY is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold).

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